San Diego motorcyclist dies in crash

PALA -- A 53-year-old San Diego man died Friday afternoon in a
motorcycle collision just south of the Riverside County line.

The motorcyclist was riding his 2000 Harley Davidson south on
Pala Temecula Road about 2:20 p.m. when he crashed, a California
Highway Patrol report states. As he entered a curve, he allowed his
motorcycle to cross over the double-yellow lines and into the
northbound lane where he collided head-on with a 1987 Chevrolet
Van, the report states.

As the van's driver rounded the curve, she saw the motorcycle,
braked and attempted to swerve but could not avoid the collision,
CHP officer Ron Thatcher said. The motorcyclist was thrown from the
bike and died at the scene, despite the fact that he was wearing
protective leather gear and a motorcycle helmet, the report
states.

The van's driver, Maria Cabrea, 35, of Pala, was taken to Inland
Valley Regional Medical Center for observation because she was
seven months pregnant, Thatcher said. The three children in her car
were not injured.

Officers say it is not known what caused the motorcyclist to
drift into the other lane. The investigation is continuing.